


Glowing

by Spoiler1001



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Love, M/M, Staring, Suggested nudity, Temporary Character Death, infernal, italic is infernal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27462250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spoiler1001/pseuds/Spoiler1001
Summary: Lucien missed the nine and plans to appreciate the time spent with them.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 4
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Italics= infernal

"You're a clever group, Mighty Nein." Lucien cackled and grinned as he danced his way around Caleb, the tail constantly grabbing onto Caleb's hand, arms, wrists, and chest. 

"You called us here, Nonagon," Caleb sighed, grabbing him and looking him in the eye.

"Invited, darling. I'm not forcing you to be here. You can leave." Lucien smiled and tilted his head to the side, letting his hair fall away from his peacock tattoo. The eye on his neck glowed red. He leaned closer, his eyes widened with surprise as Caleb kept his eyes even with him. "But achievements are better with friends, no?"

Caleb was quiet, not responding to the small comment. 

Lucien pouted but backed off, his tail dropping softly. "And what of your guide? We know the way, it would not be wise to have someone here with no emotional connection."

"You murdered his employer the night before the trek was to be. I believe it would be you who will pay him his dues." Caleb spoke up. 

Lucien's head dropped and walked towards the entrance of the cave. 

"You have a lot of nerve asking the Nonagon to do something so superficial." Cree hissed. Caleb shrugged in response. 

Lucien took full advantage of the ice by sliding back with a lighter coin purse and a happy guide getting as far away from them as possible.

"Well since that's taken care of, why don't we catch up. I'm sure we have a lot to discuss." Lucien smiled. 

"Not here, much too cold." Caleb huffed, his lips half blue. 

"Well unless you have a spell-" Cree snapped trying to position herself between Lucien and the rest of the group.

It was Caleb's turn to smile. 

* * *

The tower was big and wonderful. Once Lucien figured out the floating mechanic, he had to stop himself from using it to dance in the air. 

The cats were watching him with cautious eyes. Lucien didn't mind, they didn't stop him from going anywhere. Which led to many little discoveries and one all too big discovery.

  
  


"I recognize torture chambers, I've seen too many in my time. Why is there one above our heads." Lucien asked Caleb, who simply looked up from his spot in his hot bath. 

"I see you have the same curiosity we do, Nonagon." Caleb sighed. "And you are the first in either one of our friend groups to find it." 

"Why is it there?" Lucien was trying to read Caleb. 

"It's where it was in the towers in the school I grew up," Caleb hummed. 

"A school?!" Lucien almost shrieked. 

Caleb stood up and dried himself off. "I will see you at dinner, my friend" Caleb placed a kiss on Lucien's forehead. 

* * *

Lucien was ready to kick himself when he saw Caleb at dinner. His hair was down and loose.

He was staring, he knew, but the hair was like pure copper. Lucien was half tempted to shine a light against it. Cree elbowed Lucien to get him to focus, but the group noticed. 

Lucien regretted nothing. 

  
  


Caleb did some reading before going to bed. He knew he created enough guest rooms for the Tomb Takers, but there was a purple head sticking out of his sheets. 

"Nonagon." Caleb sighed. A red eye opened. 

"It's comfortable here." His accent was even thicker as he was tired. 

Caleb just hummed and sat on the bed.

"You don't have to call me that," Lucien whispered. 

"What would you prefer to be called?" Caleb ran his fingers through Lucien's hair. Lucien sighed and shrugged.

"Whatever you like. Nonagon is too formal." Lucien curled closer to him. 

"Lucien?" Caleb asked. The tiefling nodded. 

"I like how you say that," Lucien mumbled. "Stay for warmth?"

So Caleb slept with Lucien's head on his chest and hands tangled in his hair.

* * *

  
  


The two groups traveled easily, Lucien and Fjord uneasily lead the groups to the next point. Lucien's stomach clenched. 

"Get down!" Lucien screamed as two mages and a fighter came towards the group, launching spell after spell towards Lucien and Caleb, cutting them off from the others. 

Lucien hissed and casts a blood ritual blinding the mages. Caleb went to cast a fireball, but a projectile hit him first. 

Lucien watched with wide eyes as a spear hit Caleb square in the chest. 

The group caught up later. The bodies of the attackers lay fallen, not quite whole but Lucien was holding onto Caleb, his eyes bright and desperate. 

"No. No. No. No. _Light._ _Stay with me, stay with me_." Lucien whispered, calling to him in infernal. 

Caduceus took a step forward and Lucien just glared at him, not quite seeing him step forward, hissing vague curses at him. Jester and Fjord had to hold him back as Caduceus cast healing. Lucien didn't realize he was hyperventilating until his breath evened out, just watching Caleb take a breath. They let Lucien go and he jumped right back to Caleb's side.

" _Hello, darling, you're ok. Keep shining bright_." Lucien kissed Caleb's forehead. 

"Shi-" Jester asked. 

Lucien grabbed her hand and let Jester see. 

There was a glow surrounding the Nein, with Caleb at her feet practically glowing with bright colors throughout. 

"Mo- that's beautiful…" Jester caught herself. Lucien let go and grabbed onto Caleb, holding him close. 

"He really is." 

* * *

Caleb was safe in the tower. Lucien made sure of it. His tail was twitching in the air and his eye markings were glowing as his eyes were unfocused. Caleb was sleeping heavily, having used his remaining magic to create the tower. 

Lucien curled around Caleb. "You're such a magnificent soul, Darling." He whispered curling around him. 

"Mollymauk…" Caleb mumbled. 

"Shhhh" Lucien ran his fingers through Caleb's hair and over tear tracks. He was shivering and pale. "I'm here, I'm here." 

Lucien's eyes focused on Caleb. "You're alright." 

Bright blue eyes looked up at brighter red. "You stayed." 

Lucien smiled and hugged Caleb. "I wanted you to be here and if you died doing so, I wouldn't forgive myself." 

"I am fine. But- you are covered in blood." Caleb whispered. 

Lucien looked down. "So I am. " 

"Use my tub. I will be fine." Caleb smiled. Lucien hesitated. Caleb took a deep breath and pulled Lucien close to him, placing a kiss on his lips. Lucien's tail went taunt. He felt a chirp fill his chest and he leaned into the kiss. With a heavy heart, he had to pull away. 

"Caleb. You- I will go wash up." Lucien blushed and stumbled away. 

* * *

He came back to Caleb reading a book. Lucien crawled onto the bed, nestled under Caleb's chin. 

"You feel better?" Caleb chuckled. 

Lucien looked up. "You were the one stabbed." 

"I'm sleeping it off." 

Caleb turned the page. 

"What are you reading?" Lucien whispered. 

"A bedtime story I used to hear from my mother," Caleb spoke into Lucien's hair. "I'll read it to you." 

"The words are in Zemnian." Lucien mused. 

"Do you want me to translate?" Caleb asked. 

Lucien shook his head. 

Caleb read in Zemnian, his words in a lower pitch and Lucien feeling the words just as much as he heard them.

* * *

The job Lucien wanted to do was left undone. The Nein were a safety net. They were friends. He missed them so much. Caleb seemed to be deep in sleep when Cree woke Lucien up. Lucien took a deep breath and untangled himself from Caleb, unwrapping his tail from around Caleb's thigh. 

The snow seemed to cut colder with just the Tombtakers. Lucien steeled himself for what he was about to do.

“How much longer until we get there,” Lucien asked. 

“We have time, Nonagon. Then you will fulfill your purpose.” Cree spoke right next to him. Lucien sighed, deep in thought, his Magic eyes glowing. 

Minutes passed as the group made their way to the area that held the resting place of the lost city. Lucien took a deep breath and felt the power in the air. He could see it flow in the air, moving like water, but twisting in the air, dancing like smoke or flames. He remembered Caleb’s pain with flames. The flames Lucien could see oozed something in his soul. He agreed with Caleb.

Lucien dropped his coat, his bare chest in the cold air. He grabbed his dagger, cutting from the tip of his middle finger, across his chest to the tip of the middle finger of his other hand. The blood burned and boiled in the cold. He wasn’t cold, but it was hard to tell if that was from the magic or it was so cold he was numb. There was a big, jagged scar on his chest, right above his heart. It went from light lavender in his healed state to bright red, not bleeding, but overall unhealed. Lucien felt wet on his cheeks before it turned icy and vanished. The spectral flames flowed closer to him, and his heartbeat was booming in his ears. Lucien chanted the snow melting and boiling around him. The flames danced around his wound. He knew it should hurt, but he didn’t feel pain. There was no fog in front of his face. Let the flames dance on the shed blood as he spoke in a language that no one was alive to remember. He wasn’t talking to the sleeping city. He called to the Moon Weaver, asking for her to help Caleb in forgiving him.

Then he began that chant for the city. Lucien smiled at the flames. They were sucked away. The air was beginning to freeze around him. The magic was dying in the area as his magic eyes were fading from nine to eight to seven and so on. 

“No.No. No. It’s not working! Something is wrong.” Cree screamed. Lucien laughed. The pain from the cold finally set in. He just laid on top of his blood-stained coat, staring at the sky. It was broad daylight, but there was a full moon.

“I did what I meant to do, Cree. There are no more nonagons.” Lucien wheezed. 

“No! There is supposed to be power. We’re supposed to be gods” Cree screeched and pulled out a polearm.

“Then long may you reign.” A thickly accented voice deadpanned as a fireball hit her. Lucien was losing consciousness. 

Caleb ran to Lucien's side and pulled him back into his coat. 

" _You're beautiful_ ," Lucien whispered. Caleb picked up Lucien as the rest of the Nein attacked the Tombtakers, moving in the bright moonlight, hitting harder and not missing a shot. 

Lucien was held against Caleb's chest, safe and warm. 

* * *

Lucien woke up in an infirmary room. He was comfortably warm. There was an orange cat in his direct eyesight. 

"You took a big risk and lost a lot of allies, my friend." Caleb mused. "Almost met the same fate twice." 

"I woke you up." Lucien reached out to Caleb, the eye markings on his hand were gone. He just had his beautiful tattoos now. 

Caleb grabbed onto the hand. "I wasn't sleeping."

Lucien just went quiet.

"If we didn't go after you, you would have been gone." Caleb squeezed the hand. “and we would have no idea.”

“But I’m here.” He smiled weakly. “and there’s no more eyes of nine.” 

“How did you manage that?” Caleb raised an eyebrow. 

“The key can be used as a lock.” Lucien shrugged. “but I stopped something very bad from happening.” 

“You have a habit of playing hero.” Caleb hummed. “Maybe refrain from doing that alone.” 

“You’ll let me stay?” Lucien grinned. 

Caleb placed a kiss on Lucien’s forehead. “You won’t be rid of us yet.” 

“or ever.” Lucien promised.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprise epilogue + another one. I got bored. The second part takes place days later.

"Do you see me as a Molly replacement?" Lucien asked, one night as he laid in their bed. Caleb was writing something on the desk, flinching at the words. 

"What?" He turned his head to face Lucien, who was looking at the new gaps in his tattoos. Frumpkin was purring into his chest, as Lucien held onto Frumpkin one-handed. 

"Do you think I replaced Mollymauk Tealeaf?" Lucien refused to look at him. 

"What brought this on?" Caleb stood up and Lucien's tail twitched. 

"I- I don't know but I feel his ghost. Like he's still what you expect from me." Lucien curled around himself. 

"We have seen you as you are. There Is no doubt." Caleb knelt next to him reaching out to brush the hair out of his face. "We were prepared for you as you are." 

"And you? What are your thoughts on me?" He asked, not quite looking at him.

"I did love Mollymauk, but I buried and mourned him. You are a very different person. I care for you as your own being. I don't expect Mollymauk. I expect you." Caleb kissed Lucien's forehead. 

"I'm sorry. It's just I can't not think about him." He whispered. 

"Do you miss being him?" 

"I miss the way things were." 

"The changes might not be a bad thing." Caleb mused. "Things will take time." 

"You're so wonderful." Lucien smiled sadly. 

"That's just what time with the 9 does." Caleb looked sadly. "I was so close to leaving after Molly died." 

"Are you glad you stayed?" Lucien asked. 

"Staying was the best decision I made." Caleb looked around. "They're home now." 

"Home sounds good." Lucien rested his forehead on Caleb's chest.

* * *

There were no secret relationships in the mighty 9. Everyone knew who liked who. Probably because subtlety doesn't exist in the 9. 

"Why are my favorite books fifteen feet up," Lucien asked quietly. Caleb didn't register the question. 

"Darling, love, my joy, the books are too high up. I'm not like Frumpkin. I can't climb." Lucien nuzzled the side of Caleb's face. 

Caleb hummed and leaned into the feeling. "Do you need help?" 

Lucien gently headbutted Caleb. "Please. I haven't read those yet. Darling, I love you." 

"I can get the book for you," Caduceus spoke, popping his head in. "You don't need to try to warm Caleb up like that." 

"Thank you, Caduceus." Lucien smiled but kept his head where it was. 

The book was received, and Lucien was now working his way under Caleb's arms, his tail moving back and forth. 

"That book is in Zemnian." Caleb raised an eyebrow.

"I know." 

"Can you read Zemnian?" Caleb asked again. Lucien just beamed. 

"Do you want me to read to you again?" Caleb asked, grabbing the book. Lucien purred and nuzzled his face into Caleb's shirt.

"You are absolutely the most stubborn person I've ever met." Cable smiled but began reading.


End file.
